Watch-case



0. K. GILES.

WATCH 088B.

(Mdel.)

No. 888,898. Patented July 17, 1888.

i. 8 j i WM Z m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

CHARLES K. GILES, OF CHTCAGO, ILLlNClS.

WATCH-CASE.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,398, dated July 17, 1888.

Application filed April QT,

To f/,ZZ 'll/hout it 77711.47/ concern.-

Be it known that l, CHARLES K. GILES, a citizen oi the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in fateli-Cases, which are fully set forth in the following` specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, 1n which- Figure l is a plan view of a watch-case einbodying my improvement, a portion thereof being broken away to show the construction; Fig. 2, a sectional View of the same, taken on the line x of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a detail sectional view of the lower portion ofthe ease detached; Fig. 5r, a similar view of the case-center detached; Fig. 5, a similar view of the back cap detached, and Fig. G a similar View of the upper portion of the case.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

My invention relates to watch-cases, and is 1n the nature of an improvement upon the combined dust-proof box and ease set forth in Letters Patent No. 308,840, granted to me December 2, 18S-i; and it consists in certain novel features, which I will now proceed to describe, and then specifically point out in the claims.

In the drawings, A represents the lower part of the case or box, which consists of a seamless shell constructed of a single piece of metal in the form shown, some base metal of comparatively slight cost being employed in its construction for the salie ol" superior economy and strength. ihis part A is provided about midway of its height with a projecting flange, A, extending clear around the shell, and the upper part of the shell, at its outer edge, is threaded, as shown at a, the screw-thread extending from the extreme upper edge down to or almost to the flange A.

B indicates the outer or main bezel, which carries the crystal b and forms the upper portion ofthe case. This bezel is screw-threaded at its inner lower edge, as shown at b', to fit upon the screw-thread a, formed upon the upper edge of the part A, as shown in Fig. 2. It will he seen that the two parts A and B form in connection with each other a dustproo'f box, which may be used for the transportation or exhibition, as in my patent hereinbefore referred to.

C indicates the case-center, which is annular in form, its interior diameter being such as to adapt it to lit around the upper portion of the lower part, A, of the case. This easecenter is preferably screw-threaded internally Afor a portion or the whole of its depth, as shown at c, to lit upon the correspondingly screw- `hreaded portion a. ot' the part A. In practice the case-center C may be applied over the part A, screwing` it into position when screw- Yhreads are used, so that it will rest upon the flange A, and the bezel i3, being then applied to the part A, may be screwed down upon it, as shown iu Fig. 2, to clamp the center against the flange A on the lower portion of the case.

D indicates a cap or back plate, formed 0I" a thin sheet of precious metal by stamping, spinning, or any other suitable process, the plate being of a size and shape to conform to and tit closely over the exposed portion of the part A of the case, and being provided with an elastic grooved edge, d, adapted to spring over the flange A to retain Ithe cap D in position, the said flange A being made sufficiently smaller than the case-center C and the flange on the lower edge of the bezel B to bring the outer edge of the cap D on a level with the outer surface of the center and bezel when the whole is in position, as shown in Fig. 2. It will thus be seen that the box, consisting of the parts A and B,may be readily transformed into a case -suitable for personal wear by applying the center C and back cap, D, in the manner hercinbefore described, the whole being built up upon the shell A, which forms in this instance a case-lining to receive the remai nderofthe parts composing the case proper.

E indicates an immer bezel or ring hinged to the upper edge of the part A, and carrying the movement-holding ring,in which the movement is placed,so that the said bezel and movement may be swung out for inspection or removal when desired. This feature, however, forms no part of my present invention, being described and claimed in an application tiled be me of even date herewith,reference to which is made for further description of the same. In this construction l also obtain a result different from that in my former patent,No. 308,840. In the construction there shown the movement with the movementplate must be inserted at IOO the back; hence the central body of the box must belarge enough to permit the movementplate to be passed through it to the front, and then some separate devices must be applied to make a seat for the plate, as it is obvious that the plate cannot be seated in the frontedge of the box. In my present construction the movement is inserted at the front of the box, which may be no larger than is necessary to receive the movement and not as large as the movement-plate. The plate may therefore be seated in the usual way upon a rabbet or seat in the front edge of the box. This isa desirable improvement when the movement is to be connected directly to the box. It is obvious too that in the construction shown in the former patent aswinging movementringcannot be applied at all. My present construction permitsa swing-ring to beused,and an application of such a ring is shown in the drawings. This also is a desirable improvement upon the former construction shown in the patent.

It is obvious that various moditcations in vthe details of construction may be made without departing from the principle of my invention, and I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting myself strictly to the precise details of construction hereinbet'ore described, and shown in the drawings. For instance, in order to form a hunter-case watch the bezel proper, B, may be made somewhat smaller than in the construction shown in the drawings, and a front plate of ordinary construction will be hinged to the case-center C in such a manner as to cover the said bezel when closed and form a complete hunter-case.

In the present application I make noV claim to the subject-matter claimed in another application tiled by me of even date herewith, Serial No. 163,658.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to *secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The circular shell and back cap, A, provided with an external horizontal flange, and an external thread extending from its front edge nearly to the flange, in combination with a front bezel or cap, B, internally threaded to lit the threaded portion of theshell, and an independent ring center, C, also internally threaded and adapted to be turned upon the threaded shell and retained inposition between the tlange and the front bezel, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The circular shell and back cap, A, provided with an external horizontal flange, and at its outer edgewith an external thread, in combination with a front bezel or cap, B, internally threaded to fit the threaded shell, an independent ring-center, C, adapted to be applied to the shell and clasped between the iiange on the latter and the front bezel, and a movement-ring hinged to the upper edge of the shell, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The circular shell and back cap, A, provided with a horizontal external flange, A', in combination with the cup-shaped plate D, provided with an elastic grooved edge, d, adapted to tit over the back plate and to be sprung over the flange A, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

CHARLES K. GILES. Vitnesses:

J. M. PARsHALs, W. E. JoNEs. 

